The Home Secretary is calling for more police powers to protect war memorials after pro-Palestinian protesters were accused of ‘desecrating’ a monument by climbing on it.
Videos circulating on social media reveal protesters climbing the Royal Artillery Memorial at Hyde Park Corner on Wednesday evening.
Pro-Palestine protests have been taking place in London since hostilities between Israel and Hamas began on 7 October.
Breaking: A pro-Palestine protester climbed on top of the Royal Artillery war memorial by Hyde Park in London. He was not arrested. Poppies still line the monument for Remembrance Day/Veterans Day. pic.twitter.com/xP1l5S2CDR
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) November 15, 2023
Responding to footage of the event online, veterans affairs minister Johnny Mercer, a former artillery officer, said, “I will not stand idly by whilst individuals think this is the correct way to treat these memorials.”
The Metropolitan police condemned the behaviour of the protesters as ‘unacceptable’. They stated that no laws were broken in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
They said, “There is no law explicitly making it illegal to climb on a memorial so officers cannot automatically arrest. But they can intervene and make it clear the behaviour isn’t acceptable.”
This evening, pro-Palestinian protestors were able to climb on the Royal Artillery Memorial at Hyde Park Corner.
We regret that officers were not able to respond quickly enough to stop it happening.
Below is our statement. pic.twitter.com/6RORNCVW9p
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) November 15, 2023
Home Secretary James Cleverly, an ex-Territorial Army officer in the Royal Artillery, said he would examine whether the police needed new powers.
He told LBC, “It is clearly wrong. The police have said they recognise it is deeply disrespectful for people to climb on war memorials.”
On ITV’s Good Morning Britain, he added, “We are looking at what additional powers the police may need.”
He continued, “The war memorials recognise the sacrifice people have made for our freedom. Desecrating behaviour like this is deeply, deeply offensive.”
“I will look at further measures so the police can take action on this.”
A dispersal order took place across parts of the City of Westminster from 7.50pm on Wednesday to 2am on Thursday.
Police said they had made one arrest at the protest for possession of an offensive weapon.
